aura

aura

[aw´rah] (pl. auras, au´rae)

a peculiar sensation preceding the appearance of more definite symptoms. An epileptic aura precedes an epileptic seizure and may involve visual disturbances, dizziness, numbness, or any of a number of sensations which the patient may find difficult to describe exactly. In epilepsy the aura serves a useful purpose in that it warns of an impending attack and gives the patient time to seek privacy and a safe place to lie down before the seizure actually begins.

A migraine aura precedes about 15 per cent of migraine headaches, warning the patient that an attack is imminent. When it occurs the patient should rest in a quiet, darkened room.

aura

Neurology A subjective—illusionary or hallucinatory. or objective–motor event marking the onset of an epileptic attack, grand mal seizure, or a migraine. See Migraine, Seizure Paranormal An energy field said to envelop the human body, and correspond to the soulSee Chakra, Cf Vital force.

aura

The symptoms providing a warning of an impending attack of some kind, such as an epileptic seizure or a migraine episode. These may take the form, respectively, of a feeling of coldness and the perception of sparkling lights.

Aura

A subjective sensation or motor phenomenon that precedes and indicates the onset of a neurological episode, such as a migraine or an epileptic seizure.

aura

idiosyncratic subjective sensation (auditory, visual) perceived immediately before, and serving as a warning of the imminence of, an epileptic attack

au·ra

, pl. aurae (awr'ă)

1. Epileptic ictal phenomenon perceived only by the patient.

2. Subjective symptom at onset of migraine headache.

[L. breeze, odor, gleam of light]

aura,

n the brief period of heightened sensory activity that immediately precedes the onset of a seizure. It may be characterized by numbness, nausea, or unusual sensitivity to light, odor, or sound.

aura

a peculiar sensation preceding the appearance of more definite symptoms. It is a well-known phenomenon in humans and, on good clinical grounds, assumed to occur in animals, appearing as behavioral abnormalities.

Patient discussion about aura

Q. Can visual aura alone be migraine? I'm 21 years old girl, and for the last six years, about once a week, when I wake up from night sleep all I see in my left eye is a very bright light. After some time my vision returns. In the last few weeks it became more frequent and also starts to happen in the other eye.
I consulted my doctor and she told me it's not an important thing, and that it's probably a specific type of migraine. However, I don't have any pain at all. Does anyone else have this? Is it possible for migraine to occur only with aura, without any pain?

A. Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your problem. Whatever your doctor told you, you should know that if it bothers you, it IS an "important thing". I also suffer from similiar thing (only visual disturbances after I wake up, without any pain), and when my doctor prescribed me meds they went away. You should consult your doctor again and ask him for a solution for this thing.

Q. My 21 year son has chronic sinus issues, I think, due to many high school sports injuries. Help! His ENT has recommended a "nose job" but our insurance will not cover it. Do you know of any holostic, nutritional or homeopathic solutions to keep this under control? When he gets a headache, it shuts him down and normally goes into a migraine.

A. One of the best, most inexpensive, ways to prevent, treat, and generally care for any sinus related problem is with a saline (salt water) sinus rinse. The one I use is called "Neil Med" and can be purchased at Walgreen's for about $15. It has a plastic bottle with pre-measured, pre-packaged salt that is should be mixed with cooled off sterilized (boiled) water. If I get an infection, using 2 or 3 packets to concentrate the solution gives the lavage a bacteriostatic (stuns/partially kills bacteria), not bacteriocidal (kills bacteria) quality. I do not own Neil Med although I wish I did!! The lavage method also washes out any dust, old mucous, you name it. It should be used prior to the use of any nasal steroid like Flonase if treating allergic rhinitis. Good luck!!

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.